MotoGP At the Indonesian Grand Prix, Marc Marquez, who finished in sixth place, stated that he preferred not to take risks at Mandalika. The Ducati rider acknowledged that the Aprilia riders were faster, but focused on limiting point losses in the championship fight.
Risk Management and Race Performance
Marc Marquez could not replicate his victory in the Sprint race at the Indonesian Grand Prix in Mandalika in the main race. Despite having a good start, the Spanish rider struggled to keep pace with the Aprilia riders and finished sixth behind Pedro Acosta. With this result, Marquez lost the championship lead to Jorge Martin and dropped two points. Nevertheless, the Spanish rider gave a positive overall assessment of the weekend. Marquez emphasized that he managed to achieve the best result among the Ducati riders despite the difficulties he experienced during the race.
As part of my strategy, I slowed down a bit on turn 10. There were 12 laps remaining until the end of the race, and I felt my pace was good, and I knew that Acosta and Ogura would overtake me anyway. I did not want to take more risks.
Championship Fight and Rival Analysis
Marc Marquez explained that he experienced significant performance loss on the rear tire during the second part of the race and consequently changed his strategy. The Ducati rider stated that Pedro Acosta and Ai Ogura had the pace to overtake him when there were 12 laps remaining. He avoided unnecessary risks. The Spanish rider said that he could only maintain a similar pace to Jorge Martin during the first 10 laps of the race. Marquez stated that it was not possible to maintain the same performance in the 27-lap main race, and acknowledged that accepting the speed of rivals is part of the championship fight.
Other riders were faster than me, and sometimes that has to be accepted. If I want to compete for the world championship, then that is what I must do.
Aprilia's Advantage on Track
Marc Marquez stated that he could not give a definitive explanation for why Ducati struggled at Mandalika. However, he said that Aprilia's advantage was noticeable on tracks where fast corners prevail. The Spanish rider reminded that Aprilia motorcycles are strong in training and races where they do not make mistakes, on tracks like Holland and Silverstone. Marquez stated that his riding style created some disadvantages at Mandalika and that he needed to use the motorcycle precisely without pushing it. Nevertheless, he managed to limit point losses by overcoming the problems of the weekend.
Competing Against Two Aprilias for the Championship
As the championship fight reshaped after Marco Bezzecchi's victory at Mandalika, Marquez expressed that he did not see the Aprilia rider outside of the race. The Spanish rider emphasized that there are still many points to be gained, reminding that Jorge Martin and Bezzecchi are strong rivals.
Martin is the closest name to me in the championship standings. However, for the world championship, I am competing against two Aprilias with strengths and weaknesses. We will focus on our own work.
Marc Marquez also pointed out that MotoGP riders experience increasing intensity due to promotional events and media programs outside of the race. He stated that while they support the growth of the sport, there are ways to achieve this without increasing pressure on the riders. Regarding the uncertainty about the Qatar Grand Prix, Marquez emphasized that life is more important than races. The Spanish rider stated that the points lost in the championship fight will not change his opinion on this matter.
Statistics
- Marc Marquez is in second place in the 2026 MotoGP season with 353 points (Ducati Team).
- Archive: Jorge Martin: “Not fast enough to compete against Marquez” (October 11, 2026)
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Go to sourceCompiled by Şükrü Utku Poyraz
